Subsidiary Organizations

Tarayana Centre for Research and Development (TCRD) is the research branch and think tank of the Foundation for action-oriented research that is grounded in people’s lived realities and aspires to inform key development debates and policy dialogues. This is pursued through research, documentation, monitoring, and evaluation of the Tarayana Foundation’s many interventions in the field with most remote and vulnerable communities in Bhutan.

TMF was established in 2020 by the Founding President with the vision of providing access to microcredit for rural development and aims to enable the rural communities of Bhutan to help themselves come out of poverty with accelerated income growth.

Tarayana Rural Crafts (TRC) is the production and marketing arm of the Foundation, which works closely with thousands of artisans and hundreds of Self-Help Groups across the country in improving and marketing products from rural villages. Each product is painstakingly handmade by artisans whose families have been involved in the craft for many generations using locally available natural materials. The artisans are provided with the required tools and skills to revive traditional arts and crafts on one hand and help them adapt to new market demands on the other.

Follk Heritage Museum allows visitors to glimpse the traditional Bhutanese lifestyle and artifacts of rural household objects, tools, and equipment. The Museum organizes regular demonstrations of rural traditions for visitors, like traditional games, archery, and darts, allowing visitors to wear traditional attire from different regions and take pictures. The Museum also hosts educational and traditional customs.

The TSHAR (Cane and Bamboo) Institute located in Kalapang, Mongar established in 2023, is a venture under the patronage of Her Majesty Gyalyum Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck. It serves as a vibrant hub for bamboo enthusiasts, craftsmen, and social entrepreneurs to unite, fostering the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and skills in the field of bamboo and cane. The Institute also offers a diverse range of training programs, workshops, and seminars on bamboo cultivation, processing, and value addition. 

Bhutan Echoes is a literature and arts initiative that coordinates and produces events to promote literature, culture, and art in Bhutan, culminating in ‘Drukyul’s Literature Festival,’ an annual international literary festival held in Bhutan.